Apparatus for preparing freshly spun cakes of rayon for aftertreatments



July 14, 1953 R. v. DE VAULT ET AL 2,645,434 APPARATUS FOR PREPARING FRESHLY SPUN CAKES 0F RAYON FOR AFTERTREATMENTS Original Filed July 27. 1949 A I INVENTOR "7 0059,; Imam s \M RqyJlZfierdJ ATTORNEY Patented July 14. 1953 APPARATUS FOR PREPARING FRESHLY SPUN CAKES OF RAYON FOR AFTER- TREATMENTS .RoliertN. De Vault and Ray.J...Echerd, Jr.,.Asheville,N. 0., assignors to AmericanjEnk'a Corporation, Enka, N. 0., a 'corporation'of Delaware Original application July 27, 1949, Seri'allNo.

107,128. Divided and this application September 12, 1950, Serial No. 184,504 a The present inventionrelates to an apparatus for preparing freshly spun cakes of rayon for aftertreatments and; more particularlyto an expansible member that can be inserted readily into viscose rayon cakes as a protection during sub.-

sequent handling involving liquid aftertreatments and re-winding during the coning operation.

Normally freshly spun cakes of rayonare ither subjected to a lacing operation such as shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,988,778 or to a socking operation such as that shown in U. S. Patent No.

2,418,657. iBothof 'these'systems are more or less complicatedand time'consuming. The present method employing the device to be hereinafter described is simpler than that of the former patent and more efficient than that of the latter one. It is an object to provide a novel type support that coacts with a novelexpansible insert during the coning operationi Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein J I: i 1 Figure l is a perspective. VlBWLOf the expansible insert in an uncoiled condition;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of a. cake in which the insert has been inserted and expanded;

Figure 3 is a perspective view in partial section'of the cake positioned on a support after it has been subjected to the necessary aftertreatments and dried, and is in readiness for unwinding on a coning machine;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the plate portion ofthe support during coning; and

Figure 5 is a-perspective view of the top portion of the support.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1, the numeral It indicates a generally rectangular insert made of a suitable liquid permeable material such as preshrunk cotton cloth. sewed into the top and bottom marginal edges of this insert are flexible metal spring wires I I and I2 constructed of a high grade stainless steel.

This insert I can be introduced into cake 13, either manually or by a simple device that will retain the insert in a coiled state of smaller diameter than the inside of the cake 13 until the insert has been pulled therethrough and expanded around the inside of the cake. The width of the insert is greater than the height of the cake, so that the tendency of the metallic wires II and I2 to return to their uncoiled position will cause the top and bottom of the insert to be expanded over 'the top and bottom inside edges of the cake in the manner shown in Figure 2.

3 Claims. (01. 242 1129) In'providing inserts for the freshly spun acid cakes in the above manner, adequate protection is furnishedtothe loosely formed co'nvolutions at the inside of the cakes during subsequent liquid pressure treatments, because. substantially no washing. down. of. the inner convolutions, particularly at the edges of the cakes, results. Moreover, theinserts furnish protection during the ph sical handling ofthebakes incident to transferringthefn to-difi'erent treatment stations.

The insert per se is the subject matter of the sole invention of RobertV. Devault, covered by application Serial No. 245,955, filed September 10,

19151... g l l g Referringnow toFigures 3 to 5 inclusive, after the-cake has been properly aftertrcated and dried,

it is in readiness for re-winding on a coning machine. The cake 13, having the insert l0 retained therein, is placed on a plate M in such a way that the bottom wire of the insert is pressed into a circular recess I5 provided in the support. This recess locks the bottom wire of the insert around the bottom edge of the cake and prevents further expansion otzthe wire during the latter stages of unwinding as a result of the tendency of the wire to uncoil. A combination cap l6 and plug H is then inserted into the top of the cake. The cap 16 is provided with a circular recess i8 similar to recess [5 to receive and lock the top wire against outward movement and thereby coacts with the bottom recess in preventing distortion of the inner convolutions. In this way the insert fits snugly over and around the top and bottom inner edges of the cake, and the grooved recesses l5 and I8 prevent the yarn from tangling during the latter stages of unwinding. The plug portion I"! is tapered to conform with the inside diameter of the cake and is of such depth as to cause it to fit tightly against the insert around the entire area thereof.

The cap I6 is preferably constructed of transparent material such as Lucite (a methacrylate),

which enables the operator to determine when an insert is in place properly and when the cake is being unwound without displacement or entanglement.

This application is a division of our application Serial No. 107,128, filed July 27, 1949, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of our application Serial No. 105,428, filed July 13, 1949, now abandoned. Since the filing of the original application it has been determined that in the unwinding of certain types of rayon, particularly deniers of less than 300, it is only necessary to lock the insert I 0 at one point, e. g., at either the top or bottom. In that case either the recess l5 in plate [4 or the recess l8 in cap Hi can be eliminated. For ease of manipulation on' the coning machine, it appears tobe preferable to provide a plain supporting. plate and. a recessed cap. P-

' tially eliminates washing down of the inner edgesof the loosely formed convolutions of rayon and the support. prevents any entanglement of the yarn, particularly at the top and bottom, which may cause uneven delivery to the cone and possible damage or breakage'of the yarn thereby.

, What is claimed is: v

- 1. In combination with a rayon cake for the.

protection thereof during subsequent treatment and handling, an insertlining the interior of the cake comprising a-liquid permeable cloth reinforced at its top and bottom marginal edges with flexible metallic wires tending to bias the cloth to a flattened shape whereby the insert is expanded' over the top and bottom inner edges of the cake, a cake support that coacts with the said insert which comprises a plate for receiving the cake and insert, a recessed cap for containing the" top metallic wire whereby distortion of the inner eonvolutions is minimized during the latter stages of unwinding and a plug member attached to the cap and conforming to the inside diameter of the cake to cause said member to fit tightly against the insert around the entire area thereof.

2. In combination with a rayon cake for the protection thereof during subsequent treatment and handling, an insert lining the interior of the cake comprising a liquid permeable cloth reinforced at its top and bottom marginal edges with flexible metallic wires tending to bias the cloth to a flattened shape whereby the insert is expanded over the top and bottom inner edges of the cake, a cake support that coacts with the said insert which comprises a recessed plate for receiving and encompassing the bottom metallic wire, a recessed cap for containing the top metallic wire whereby distortion of the inner convolutions is minimized during the latter. stages 'of unwinding and a, plug member attached to the cap and conforming to the inside diameter of the cake to cause said member to fit tightly against the insert around the entire area thereof. v

3. In eombinationwith a rayon cake for the protection thereof during subsequent treatment and handling, an insert lining the interior of the cake comprising a liquid permeable cloth reinforced at its top and bottom marginal edges with flexible metallic wires tending to biasthe cloth to a flattened shape whereby the insert is expanded over the top and bottom sinner edges of the cake, a cakesup-port that coacts with the said insert which comprises a plate for supporting the cake and insert, a cap and a plug member attached thereto conforming to the inside diameter of the cake to cause said member to fit tightly against the insertaround the entire area thereof and means locking the insert at at least one point to prevent distortion of the inner convolutions during the latter stages of unwinding.

OBERT VQDE VAULT.

RAY J. ECHERD, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,265,110 Prentiss May '7, 1910 1,368,069 Stokes Feb. 8, 1921 2,117,902 Moyer May 17, 1938 2,141,610 Little et al. Dec. 27, 1938 2,191,108 I-Iuttinger Feb. 20, 1940 2,508,651 Pratt et al. May 23, 1950 2,529,420 Ramquist Nov. 7, 1950 

